SYDNEY, Nov 17 — A South African man who moved to Australia in 2022 has had his visa cancelled by the federal government after he was photographed attending a neo-Nazi rally outside the New South Wales (NSW) parliament house on November 8.

The man, Matthew Gruter, was among approximately 60 men from the National Socialist Network who displayed a banner reading “Abolish the Jewish lobby” and chanted the Hitler Youth slogan “blood and honour”, ABC News reported.

Announcing the decision, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said: “If you are on a visa you are a guest... Like with any household, if a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it’s time to go home.”

Gruter, who was photographed in the front row of the protest, was reportedly employed by the engineering firm Aurecon. 

Social media posts showed him previously wearing a silver bracelet engraved with the same “blood and honour” slogan chanted at the rally. 

When questioned on this, Gruter responded defiantly, asking: “Since when is it a crime to love and advocate for your own people?”

The incident has prompted a swift political response. 

NSW Premier Chris Minns said that changes to the state’s hate speech laws could be introduced to parliament this week, sending a clear message that “Nazis aren’t welcome.”

“There’s no such thing as a part-time Nazi,” Minns said. “You can’t hold down a job somewhere else in civic life and expect to be free from scrutiny by joining one of these horrible organisations.”